Sole-cutting machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. E. KNIGHT 8v E. B. STEELE.

SOLE CUTTING MACHINE.

No. 494,784. Patented Apr. 4, 1893.

WFZEESES. @W

(No Model.)

- 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. M. E. KNIGHT 8u H. B. STEELE.

SULB CUTTING MACHINE No. 494,784. Patented Apr. 4, 189s.

(No Model.) 4 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

M. R'KNIGHT 8E H. B, STEELE..

SGLB CUTTING MACHINE.

.Patented Apr. 4, V1893.

UNITED Sfirn'rns PATENT Fries.

MARGARET E. KNIGHT, OF SOUTH FRAMINGHAM, AND HERBERT STEELE., OFMEDFORD, ASSIGNORS TO SAID KNIGHT, AND ROBERT D. EVANS AND JOHNS.LOCKWOOD, OF BOSTON, AND DAVID C. MARR, OF HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

SOLE-CUTTI NG MACHIN E.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 494,784, dated April4, 1893.

Application tiled September 9, 1892. Serial No. 445,415. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, MARGARET E. KNIGHT,

of South Framingham, and HERBERT B.

STEELE, of Medford, both in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Machines forCutting Shoe-Soles and other Articles of Curvilinear Outline, of whichthe following is a specification.

Our improvement relates to and is especially applicable to a machinesubstantially like that described and shown in our patent No. 444,982,dated January 20, 1891, and it consists chiey in the improved means bywhich the plane of the cutter blade or blades is automatically kepttangent to the varying curves of the form or pattern according to whichthe article is being out, and in modiications of parts of the machineincidental zo thereto.

In the machine described in our said former patent, the relativedistance between the cutters and the edge of the pattern according towhich the sole or other article is to be out, is

2 5 maintained by a small friction roll pivoted upon the cutter framebeneath the cutters and which bears against the edge of the saidpattern; but the axis of this roll is not in the line of the axis of thepivot upon which the 3o cutter frame turns, and any inaccuracy in thecam by which rotary movement is given to the cutter-frame, for thepurpose of always keeping the plane of the cutter blades tangent to thecurves of the said pattern, is likely to 3 5 be exaggerated by theposition of the said friction roll. And also in the said prior machineit is necessary to provide a series of cams for effecting the saidrotary movement of the cutter frame in order to meet the variations inthe shapes of the patterns. ln the present improved construction weplace this friction roll upon a pivot, the axis of which is coincidentwith that of the pivot on which the cutter-frame turns. vAnd upon thesleeve of the cutter-frame which ts upon the pivot We provide an armwhich supports at its outer end another small friction roll, preferablyin a plane a little below the first mentioned roll.

This second roll bears upon a supplemental cam or pattern, the contourof the periphery of which substantially corresponds to an irregularcurved path traced by a given point in a line which is always kepttangent to the varying curves of the sole-pattern while being movedaround said pattern, the-distance between the tangent point and thetracing point of the line being constant.

To illustrate concretely, suppose a short ruler provided with two pointsnear together and a third at a distance therefrom equal to the distancedesired between the bearing point of the first mentioned roll upon thepattern in the machine, and the axis of the second roll; then the linetraced by the said third point when the other two points are continuallyheld against the edge of the sole-pattern While the ruler is caused tomove around it, will be the path of the axis of the second roll and theshape of the said supplemental cam; and the size of this cam pattern foruse with a second roll of any given size, will be determined by a linedrawn. parallel to and within the said traced path, and at adistancetherefrom equal to the radius of the said second roll. These twofriction rolls are held against their respective patterns bythe actionof springs, the second roll being indepeudent of the mechanism whichcontrols the iirst roll, so far as its effect upon the position of thecutter blades is concerned. The cutting point of the cutter blades andthe bearing point of the iirst mentioned friction roll upon the edge ofthe sole-pattern are always substantially in the same perpendicularstraight line, and as the sole pattern revolves the cutters follow theoutline thereof, the plane of the cutter-blades being kept substantially tanedge of said first roll as a fulcrum, by the operation ofthe cam Within the machine. lndependently of this action, the saidsecond roll, upon the arm projecting from the cutter frame, gives asupplemental and more accurate adjustment to the cutter blades by itsmovement in and out over the surface of the said supplemental campattern.

In the drawings accompanying this specification Figure 1, is a plan Viewof the portions gent to its curves, by being swung upon thek roll arecontrolled. Fig. 4, is a vertical longitudinal section of the hollowsole-pattern with the attached cam, showing the air pipes connected withthe interior ofthe pattern. Fig. 5, is an inverted plan view ofthe saidpattern showing the outline ofthe cam beneath. Fig. (i, is a sideelevation of the hollow sole-pattern with its attached cam.

Referring to the drawings by designating letters, the same part of themachine having the same designation in each view, in Fig. l, Arepresents a portion of the frame of the machine; B, a portion oftheturret which supports and-carries the sole-patterns E and their attachedparts.

F, is the upper cutter and F', the lower cutter or grooved disk whichoperates in conjunction with the cutter F.

G, G' is the cutter-frame made in two parts. The upper part G supportsthe two cutters, and can be moved horizontallyin guides upon the loweror bracket part G', by means of adjusting screws g, g', (sce Fig. 2,)thus adjusting the cutters in their relation to the pattern E.

The cutter-frame is supported upon one end of a swiveling arm H, bymeans of a sleeve I, upon a pintle K, projecting up from the arm H. Fromthe upper end o1" the sleeve I, a short arm L, projects. Upon the upperend of the pintle K is a slnall friction roll M, which bears upon theedge E' of the pattern corresponding in shape to the sole or otherarticle to be cut, and upon the outer end of the arm L, is anotherfriction roll N, which bears upon the cam E2, the form of which isproduced from the shape of the sole pattern, in the manner hereinbeforeexplained. The arm H, swivels upon a pivot P, and by means of a springS, one end of which is attached to said arm and the other to the frameofthe machine, the roll M, is held in firm contact with the portion E ofthe pattern E, and the cutters in operative relation to the upper edgeof the pattern. A gear O, is attached to the sleeve l, which is,primarily, turned as in our former patented machine, by a lever h,having a segment gear at either end and being pivoted at the middle ofits length at p, to the arm H. One of these segment gears meshes withthe gear O, and the other with the gear O', which is made fast to thelever Q. This lever Q is caused to move back and forth and thus turn thegear O', by its connection, through the link R, with the double armlever R', R2, pivoted to the frame of the machine at T. The portion R',is above the caln wheel C and the portion R2, is below the said wheeland is provided with a cam-roll, r at its end, which runs in a properlyshaped cam-groove on the under side of the wheel C.

In addition to the cam-groove which is upon the under side of the wheelG, and which through the interconnecting levers and gears referred to,turns the cutter frame, and thereby constantly keeps the plane of thecritter blade substantially tangent to the curves ot' the sole-pattern;there is the-friction roll N, which as it follows the curves ot' the camE2 swings the arm L, to and fro, thus turning the sleeve I, and with itthe cutter-frame and cutters, thereby acting as a supplemental adjusterof the cutters in relation to the sole-pattern. And in order that theoperation of the cam E2 upon the adjustment of the cutters may beyindependent of the cam upon the wheel C, the lever h, is made in twoparts h and h', both pivoted aty p, but connected together by a springs, so that when the cam E2, through the roll N, moves the arm L, andthereby turns the sleeve Land gear O, the part h', will freely swingupon the pivot p, by reason of the resiliency of the said spring s,while the part h, remains at rest.

The cutter-frame with the cutters can be swung away from the pattern E,by turning the arm H, upon its pivot P.k The mechanism t'orautomatically accomplishing this is illustrated in Fig. 1, where o., isan extension of the arm H,below which, and upon thesame pivot P, is alever b, provided with a pin c, which projects upward from an extensionof the lever b, in a position to bear against one side of the extensiona, of the arm H. Upon the end of the lever b, is a cam-roll d, whichruns in a suitable cam-groove in the camwheel D. This cam-groove is soformed and the revolution ot' the wheel D so timed, that it will movethe end of the lever b, in the direction indicated by the arrowimmediately after the cutting operation is completed. By the contact ofthe pin c, with the extension a, the arm H will be swung upon its pivotP, when the lever b, is turned thereon, and in the same direction; thatis, the arm H, with the cutter-frame which it supports will be swungback away from the pattern E, in the direction indicated by the arrow.

The upper cutter F, is positively rotated through the gears U, V; whilethe lower cutter F', rotates only by friction during the cuttingoperation. The cutter F, can be adj usted in relation to its supportingframe by a thumb screw, W, within the sleeve u, which acts against thetension of the spring between the gear U, and a pin y in the spindle ofthe said cutter.

W'e claimv 1. In a machine for cutting articles of curvi` linear outlinethe combination of one or more patterns to hold the material while beingcut, a rotary cutter held in a swiveling frame, a guide upon said frameto bear upon the periphery of the said pattern, or patterns as presenteda supplemental form with a cam to automatically adj ust the plane of thecutter blades with relation to the curves of each pattern, and a secondguide upon a projecting IOO IOS

IIO

part of said frame, to bear upon said cam-surface and thereby move thecritters substantially as described.

2. In a machine for cutting shoe-soles or other articles of curvilinearoutline, organized with a pattern to support the material While beingcut; a cutter upon a pivoted support and mechanism adapted to turn saidsu pport and present the cutter to the said pattern with the plane ofthe cutter blade substantially tangent to thevarying curves of the edgeof the pattern, aresilient connection between the cutter-support and thesaid turning mechanism, an additional cam combined withv said pattern, aguide projecting from the cutter-support, and bearing upon said cam,which is adapted, by its operation thereon, to give the cutter,7supplemental adjustment independent of the other mechanism employed,substantially as described.

3. AIn a machine for cutting articles of curvilinear outline, thecombination of a stock-supporting pattern and a cam, which have the sameaxisrof rotation, a cutter upon a swiveling frame, a guide projectingfrom said z5 frame, adapted tov bear upon said cam and mechanism torotate the said pattern and cam, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for cutting articles of curvilinear outline, thecombination of a rotating 3oV ed by its bearing upon said cam to adjustthe. 3 5

cutter with relation to the edge ofy said pattern, when the said patternand cam are rotated, substantially as described.

MARGARET E. KNIGHT. HERBERT B. STEELE.

Witnesses:

R. L. ROBERTS, T. J. CUNNINGHAM.

